The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (January 14) advised people not to eat 15 types of Piranha brand crackers and snacks, all manufactured by Tixana Australia Pty Ltd.

The CFS also appealed to the trade to stop selling the products.

The appeal was made following a warning issued by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand due to the presence in a batch of exported vegetable crackers of higher than usual levels of naturally occurring cyanogenic glycosides in the ingredient cassava. Cyanogenic glycosides could be transformed into a chemical called hydrogen cyanide which may result in food poisoning.

The manufacturer is conducting a voluntary recall of the products, details of which are as follows (irrespective of batches and best before dates):

"According to the Australian authorities, while the likelihood of someone getting sick from eating the product is low, as a precaution, consumers, particularly children, are urged not to eat the snack food.

"We have contacted the relevant authorities and were informed that the affected products had been exported to Hong Kong. We are awaiting further information.

"Meanwhile, the CFS has alerted the trade about the case. It will monitor the situation closely," a CFS spokesman said.